Psychomagia
| Psychomagia | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Abraxas | ||||
| Released | February 2014 | |||
| Recorded | December 2 & 3, 2013 at Orange Sound, NJ | |||
| Genre | Avant-garde, jazz, rock | |||
| Length | 44:06 | |||
| Label | Tzadik 8313 | |||
| Producer | John Zorn | |||
| Abraxas chronology | ||||
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| John Zorn chronology | ||||
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Psychomagia is the second album by Abraxas, led by Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz, performing compositions written by John Zorn, which was recorded in December 2013 and released on the Tzadik label.[1]
Reception[edit]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Free Jazz Collective |   [2] |
Martin Schray stated "these tracks are true Zorn compositions interwoven with Near Eastern melodies, western soundscapes and jazzy wackiness and Abraxas play these pieces with the abrasive, breathtaking energy of a monstrous jam session. The musicians never consider technical skills as ends in themselves, they always serve the compositions. Psychomagia is a High Mass for guitar freaks, fans of the music of Frank Zappa and for those who like the harsher sides of Bill Frisell and Marc Ribot".[2] New York Music Daily stated "On one hand, this album is so tuneful that fans of traditional surf music are going to love it; at the same time, it’s so deliciously evil in places that the most cynical Yo La Tengo diehards might be caught drooling".[3]
Track listing[edit]
All compositions by John Zorn
- "Metapsychomagia" - 7:31
- "Sacred Emblems" - 3:02
- "Circe" - 6:03
- "Squaring the Circle" - 5:51
- "Celestial Mechanism" - 2:32
- "Evocation of the Triumphant Beast" - 6:25
- "Four Rivers" - 3:54
- "The Nameless God" - 4:35
- "Anima Mundi" - 4:14
Personnel[edit]
- Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz - bass
- Aram Bajakian, Eyal Maoz - guitar
- Kenny Grohowski - drums
References[edit]
- ^ Tzadik Catalogue: Abraxas: Psychomagia accessed May 22, 2014
- ^ a b Schray, M. The Free Jazz Collective Review, March 21, 2014
- ^ delaruse, John Zorn’s Abraxas Plunges into the Killer Surf, New York Music Daily, March 29, 2014
